No QB Controversy in Lubbock

Red Raiders without depth at Quarterback Position

As of right now, the Texas Tech University Red Raiders football team has one quarterback on its roster with spring practice in full swing—sophomore Davis Webb. Webb started six games last season as a true freshman, throwing for 2,718 yards and 20 touchdowns, while completing 62.6 percent of his passes. But it wasn’t even Webb who started out 2013 as the starter. Instead, it was walk-on true freshman and now former Texas Tech quarterback, Baker Mayfield. After a lengthy transfer process, Mayfield finds himself at the University of Oklahoma. I say lengthy because there were several obstacles he had to overcome. First, Texas Tech blocked all communication Mayfield had with any Big 12 schools, essentially forbidding him from transferring within the Big 12. So, he sent in an appeal (and eventually won), allowing him to transfer to OU and join the football team. “Transferring to OU was appealing to me because I grew up as a Sooner in Austin, Texas,” said Mayfield. “I used to come up to 1-2 games a year, and wear my Quentin Griffin jersey while I played touch football outside the Everest [Training] Center. So, this place is very familiar to me and almost feels like home.” Now a Sooner, Mayfield joins a logjam of five scholarship quarterbacks led by redshirt sophomore Trevor Knight, the probable starter after his performance in the Sugar Bowl against the University of Alabama. It wasn’t just Mayfield, however, who changed schools. Michael Brewer announced on Sunday, March 2, his decision to transfer to Virginia Tech, providing Hokies head coach Frank Beamer another option in replacing Logan Thomas. Like Mayfield, Brewer was not allowed to transfer within the Big 12, putting his top choices—Texas Christian University and the University of Texas—out of the question. Unlike Mayfield, Brewer did not have any other hurdles to leap over as he will graduate this spring. This makes him eligible as soon as he steps on campus in Blacksburg and gives him two seasons to play.

Yet, what has all the quarterbacks jumping ship?
Kliff Kingsbury, current head coach and quarterbacks coach, is an old
hero in Lubbock. Legendary, even, if you will. He spent his collegiate
career playing at Tech from 1999-2002. Returning to his alma mater was
his dream job and last year, his first season back in town as “The
King,” he led the Red Raiders to an 8-5 overall record.
As a quarterback in the era at Tech under Mike Leach, Kingsbury was a
typical system quarterback for the famed Air Raid offense. The
quarterbacks Kingsbury now coaches fit the same bill he did during his
playing days. He’s embracing the culture that has made Tech unique,
something previous head coach, Tommy Tubberville, never really succeeded
at (hence why he is now at the University of Cincinnati).
While there remains one quarterback on the depth chart this spring,
there is one waiting to step on campus in the fall and that is Patrick
Mahomes from Whitehouse, Texas. Still, only two quarterbacks for
Kingsbury to work with.
But, if you want to look way ahead, Kingsbury has already landed his
first verbal commitment for the Class of 2015. That is 5-star
dual-threat quarterback Jarrett Stidham, easily the biggest recruit in
the Kingsbury era. Stidham received more than 20 offers, including ones
from Texas, Texas A&M, and Alabama.
Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves, though. Looking at 2014, Red
Raiders fans just have to hope that Webb remains healthy. And if not
Webb, than at least Mahomes. Because the ship has been abandoned and the
crew on board is slim.

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